Apparatus for bleaching leather.



PATENTED MAY 17, 1904.

E. 0. AMIDONA APPARATUS FOR BLEAGHING' LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED 3111.28, 190* 2 SHEETE-SHEBT 1.

N0 MODEL.

W2 17% A? 2 M MW No. 759,844. PATENTED MAY 17, 1904.

E. G. AMIDON. APPARATUS FOR BLEAGHING LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

UNITED" ST TES Patented May 17, 1904.

PATENT OFFIC APPARATUS FOR BL EACHING LEATHER.

BPEGIFIGATIOH forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,844, dated May 17,1904.

v Application filed January 28, 1904. n w F0- 190,929. (Remodel) To allit may concern: Beitknownthat I, EUGENE C. AMIDoN, a citizen of theUnited States, residingin Corry,

in the county of Erie and State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented anImprovement in Apparatus for Bleaching Leather, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, isaspecification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.'a 1 This invention relates to an apparatus for treating hides, skins,and sides of leather,

which is especially adapted for use in bleaching the same.

In bleaching leather as now commonly practiced the sides or pieces ofleather are subjected to successive treatment in a plurality of tanks orvats, some of which contain bleach-- ing solutions, usually of diiferentstrengths,

andsome of which contain water. to wash the bleached leather. Thesetanks or vats are' usually located .below the floor-level, and theoperator places asingle side ofleather over a, stick or bar and suspendsthe same in the solu-' tion in the first vat, and after leaving said;

leather in the first vat a given time the oper-' ator moves it from thefirst vatand placesit "inthe second,vat'. This process repeated} in" thesucceeding 'vatsr Usually from four- "to six vats are employed. vThismethodof handling the hides, skins, or sides of leather "is verylaborious,'is objectionable on accountor: the deleterious action of thebleaching solution, which is usually acid, upon the hands of theoperator, and is defective in that a unii form result upon the'hides,skins, or sides of leather is notobtained, owingto the variation. intime, the leather is subjected to the diiferent bleaching-solutions,and,further,on account of the lack of opportunity for drainage from thehide taken from one vat before it'is immersed in the next adjacent vat.

The present invention has 'for its object toprovide an apparatus'withwhich the abovementioned defects may be overcome v and one with which amaxlmum number of h1des,sk1ns,

or sides of leather can be uniformly bleached in a minimum time atafminimum cost with a minimum expenditure'of labor and without danger ofinjuryto the hands of the operator.

For this purpose I prefer to employ a'series of supports or racks forthe hides or skins, preferably each of which is capable of supporting aplurality of hides or skins, and-at tach said supports or racks to anendless carwhen the hides or skins are immersed in the bleachingsolutions, and provision may and preferably will be made forautomaticallydischarging theskins from the racks or supports after theyare removed from the last vat of the series. Provision is further madefor starting the endless carrier in motion from near the first vat, sothat a single operator can load the racks or supports with the hides o'rskins and start the carrier in motion from one end of the apparatus. Theracks or supports mayand preferably will be constructedso that thebleaching solution in the vats will not be contaminated by contact withcorrodible portions of the mechanism. These and other features of thisinvention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of thisspecification.-

Figure 1 is a-top or plan view of my improved leather=bleaching machinewith the] central part thereof broken away; Fig. 2,113. J verticalcentral section of the same on the line am; in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, anenlarged plan viewer, one of the leather-supporting racks embfajcedinfmy invention; Fig. 4:, aside viewin e evation of the same. V

' In the drawings illustrating o'r'id'form of a my invention, A A are aseries of tanks, preferably extending below the floo'r B.. Over this,

series of tanks I erect a frame, preferably consisting of posts 0 C andhorizontal beams G", C, and U. The posts G are located at each side ofthe centers of-the tanks A. Upon the'insides of these posts 0, justabove the tops of the tanks A, I mount sprocket-wheels D, and ,upon theinsides of the posts 0' at their junction with the horizontal beams 0'two sprocket-wheels E E are mounted in metal frames or castings 10,which are adjustably secured to the posts which adjustment may beeffected, as herein shown,by rods 12, extended down through inclinedopenings bored in the said posts from the top down' through'the innersides of the same, each rod being threaded at its ends to receive a nut13 above the post and a nut 14 below a lip or flange 15 on the metalframe or casting lOfor a purpose as will be described. Near the frontends of the beams C, I mount sprocketwheels F, the bearings F of whichare longitudinally movable to some extent on said beams C and areprovided with tensionsprings G G, which operate thereon through rods gg. At the rear end of the beams G I also mount sprocket-wheels H H inlongitudinally-movable bearings H H on the rear ends of the beams Cadapted to be adjusted by means of rods k and nuts it. Mounted inbearings in said housing H is a driving-shaft I, provided with pinionsI- I, interm'eshing with gear-wheels H H on the shafts of thesprocket-wheelsH H, whereby power is transmitted from the shaft I to thesprocket-wheels H H. On one end of the shaft I there is a looseband-wheel I adapted to be actuated by a belt (not shown) from anyconvenient source of power, and on the hub thereof and on the shaft Ithere is ordinary clutch mechanism J J, whereby connection can beestablished between the shaft I and the band-wheel 1 so that the shaft Iwill be driven thereby. Around each of the series of sprocket-wheels 'EE E D and the driven sprocket-wheels H, I place endless link chains K K.From the driving-sprockets H H along thebeams G of the frame I makeguideways L L, which ex-v tend along the beams .C and inclined portion Cof the beam C to the sprocket-wheels F at the front end of the frame,and upon which guideways L L the link chains K K rest during theirbackward traverse from the rear to the front of the machine. Upon therods M, pivoted in the link chains K K at equal distances apart, I swingracks N, provided with slots n n, in which bars N can be placed and overwhich bars sides of leather can be hung, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and2, the bars N constituting movable members of the rack. These racks andthe bars therein I preferably construct as illustrated in the enlargedFigs. 3

- and 4. By referring to Fig. .4 it will be seen that the ends of thebars N, fitting intothe slot 11, are so notched that they cannot bewithdrawn longitudinally from said slot and. that the lower wall of theslot 92 is hinged tothe rack-frame N and when in use is retained inplace by means of a spring-actuated dog.

n, which engages an arm n on the, hinged parts n, so that when the dog01. is disengaged from the arm n the part n falls downward and allowsthe ends of the bars N to drop downward, as shown in dotted lines inFig. 4. To operate the dog mechanism on the racks N, I pivot to themovable housings H Hon.

the rear ends of the beams C of the frame, arms 0 0, connected by atransverse bar 0, which engages the'dogs n on the racks N about the timethey reach the terminus of their longitudinal traverse of the machine atthe rear end thereof and disengages them from the arms of of the hingedpart n of the racks N, which allows the ends of the bars N" therein toautomatically move downward and the sides of leather thereon to slideoff therefrom upon the floor, as illustrated by dotted and full lines inFig. 2, after which the racks N travel back over the guideways L L tothe front of themachine to be again filled, as illustrated .in Fig. 2.For starting this mechanism 1 pivot a starting-lever P to the frame nearthe front end-thereof and connect aretracting-spring P thereto. Thisstartinglever P is provided with a hook-catch Q, adapted to engage thelever when it is moved forward against the tension of the spring P.

From the starting-lever Pa rod 9 extends toward the rear end of theframe and engages lever mechanism P P, which lever mechanism in turnengages andoperates the movable member J of the clutch mechanism J J, sothat when the starting-leverP is moved forward, so as to engage thehook-catch Q, it operates to bring the members of the clutch intoengagement and retain them in that position until the starting-lever isreleased from the hook-catch Q. I

For automatically releasing the hook-catch I provide thereon an arm 9,from which a rod g extends to one arm of a-bell-crank lever Q, andextending down from under the other arm of said bell-crank lever Q, butnot secured thereto, there is a rod R, which extends downward and ispivoted to an arm R, which arm is pivoted to a support at one side ofthe top of the first of the tanks A, the free end of this arm extendinga short distance beyond the line of the traverse of one of the linkchains K in its downward traverse from the first of the sprocket-WheelsE to the first sprocket-wheel D, and so that the free end of the arm Rvwill engage the rods M, upon which the racks N. are suspended from thechains K K. Secured to the arm B there is a retracting-spring 1',adapted to raise the IIO free end of the arm R, and as the rack N 7ward. until the upper end of the rod R contacts with the arm of thebell-crank lever Q I with suflicient force to operate, through theconnections therewith, the hook-catch Q, so as to release theoperating-lever P, which is instantly moved back by the spring P, so asto disconnect the clutch mechanisms and stop the machine.

In operation one of the racks N, which when ing-lever P, and this rackisconveyed' along the first of the sprocket-wheelsE E and lowered intothe first tank A, where the suspending rod M thereof engages thestop-lever mechanism and operates to stop the machine. Meanwhile anotherrack N has'been' brought to the front end of the machine ready to beloaded, and when the machine is again started it operates to, raise therack N out of the first tank and up and over the second tank, and at thesame time the second rack N is conveyed over the first tank A, and bothracks are then simultaneously ,lowered into the first and second tanks,when the mechanism atthe first tank stops the machine, as before. Thisoperation is repeated at each stopping and starting of the machine,regardless of the number of tanks in" the series, and as the racks passup and out oflthe last tank and reach the rear end of the machine theyare in turn auto m'atically unloaded, as hereinbefore described,

and travel back empty over the guideways L L to the front of themachine. In the drawings I have shown two tanks and a section of athird. Itwill, however, be readily.

understood that this mechanism is equally operative with one or anynumber of tanks that it may be desired topass the leather through.

It is obvious that while I have shown and described the mechanism as aleather-bleaching machine, yet it is equally useful in leathercoloringand for many other -"purposes in handling sides of leatheror'otherimaterials into and out of tanks or vats.

By reference to Fig, 2 it will be seen that the supports or frames 10,in which the sprocketwheels E E are mounted, are vertically adjustableby. means of the rods 12 and ,nuts 13, so as to takeup any slack inthelink chains due to wear, thereby keeping the link chains in closeengagement with the sprocketwheels D and preventing the link chainsmaking contact with the solutions in the tanks and avoiding some of theracks being in advance and others behind their proper position whensaidLcarrier is stopped, thereby insuring the material on all of theracks being sub- Inergedin the solution inall of the vats to the sameextent when theendlesscarrier is stopped in its travel.

I have herein shown and described a con- 1 venient mechanism forutilizing my invention which will enable others -to construct and use.

the same. It is obvious, however,-that many parts thereof can be greatlymodified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Therefore I do not desire to confine myself to thereof hereinshownsurethe hides, skins, or sides of leather being completely immersed in thesolutions in the tanks when the said racks have reached the lowest orsubstantially lowest'point of travel in a vertical path of the endlesscarrier. It is further to be observed that the endless car- 30 rier isautomatically stopped in its travel when the hides, skins, or sides ofleather have been immersed in the solutions in the tanks and that thestop mechanism which controls the travel of said endless carrier isrendered effect- 5 ive by means movable with the endless carrier at 'orabout the time the complete immersion takes place, thereby insuringtreatment of the entire hides, skins, or sides of leather.

ll may prefer to have the automatic stop mechanism operated by the rackwhen the latter reaches its lowest position in the travel of the endlesscarrier; but I do not desire to" limit'my invention in this respect.

The bars N, upon which the hides or skins or sides of leather are hung,practicallyform movable members of the racks and are 10- cated'below thepoint of connection of the racks with the endless carrier asufficientdistance to enable the leather to be totally im-. mersed inthe bleach or other solution'withe out danger of the endless carriercoming in cohtact with. said solution, thereby enabling said carriertobe composed of iron or steel 5 chains, which would contaminate thesolution in the-vat, and thereby injure the leather if "said chains werepermitted to come in contact with'the said solution. t v

By having the endless chain travel in a sub- 1 stantially verticaldirection above and inline with the vats opportunity is afforded for thesurplus liquor .to drain off from the leather-on the upward movement ofthe samea'nd-to run or drop back into the. tank from which it is UStaken, thereby preventing the solution in one. tank from beingdilutedor, contaminated by the said surplus solution, which is takenfrom an adjacent tank.

With the apparatus herein shown the cost of treating the hides, skins,or leather is materially cheapened, inasmuch as a single opa] crater canrun the machine and anumber .of hides, skins, or sides .of leather maybe simultaneously treated in each vat," which latter re-. 5

suit is accomplished by means of the multiple holder or rack. It is tobe observedthat the operator'is relieved from all care in stopping themachine, so that the hides, skins, or sides of leather. are completelyimmersed and uni-- 3,

formly treated, and, further, he is not obliged to handle the hides orskins while wet with the bleaching solution. It is also to be observedthat the supporting-bars upon which the hides, skins, or sides ofleather are hung extend substantially at right angles to the pivot forthe rack N, thereby enabling a plurality of hides to be immersed in thesolution when the pivot for the rack occupies substantially the lowestpoint of the travel of the endless carrier.

I claim 1. The combination of a frame, sprocketwheels at each side ofthe ends thereof, and pairs of sprocket-wheels at each side of theintermediate upper part of the frame, and sprocket-wheels at each sideof the lower part of the sides thereof below said pairs ofsprocket-wheels, endless link chains operating over and around saidsprocket-wheels, mechanism for actuating said endless link chains, rackspivoted between and carried by said link chains, means for starting thelink-chainactuating mechanism, and mechanism arranged to engage one ofthe rack-supports as Y it approaches the lowermost point of its traversefor stopping the traverse of the link chains, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination of one or more tanks, a frame above said tanks,sprocket wheels at the sides of the ends, and pairs of sprocketwheelsintermediate of the sides of the upper part of said frame,sprocket-wheels at the sides of the centers of said tank or tanks, be-

low the pairs of sprocket-wheels intermediate of the sides of the upperpart of the frame, endless link-chains operating over and around thesprocket-wheels at each sideof the frame, racks pivoted upon and carriedby said link chains, mechanism for actuating said link chains in unison,rods' pivoted between and carried by said link chains, mechanism forstarting the link-chain-actuating mechanism,

and mechanism adapted to engage the racksupporting pivot of one of theracks supported upon and carried by the link chains'as it appreaches thelowermost point of its traverse for automatically stopping thelink-chain-actuating mechanism, substantiallyas set forth.

3. The combination of one or more tanks,

' a frame above said tanks, sprocket-wheels at the sides of the ends andpairs of sprocket wheels on the sides ofthe frame above the centers ofthe tank or tanks, sprocket-wheels at the sides of the tank or tanksbelow the pairs of sprocket-wheels at the sides of the frame, and linkchains over the sprocketwheels at each side of the frame, gear-andclutchmechanism operating some of the sprocket-wheels over which said linkchain operates, racks pivoted between and carried by said linkchains,vremovable leather-supporting bars in slots in said racks, andmechanism at the rear of the frame for releasing one end of the bars insaid racks at the terminatheir operative position,

tion of their traverse toward the rear end'of the machine, mechanism forthrowing the clutch mechanism into engagement to start and actuate thelink chains, and mechanism near the front of the machine adapted toautomatically disengage said clutch mechanism and stop the traverse ofthe link chains, sub: stantially as set forth.

4. In rack for a leather-bleaching machine, a rectangular frame, atransverse slot at the rear end of the frame adapted to receive andretain the ends of leather-supporting bars, atransverse slot at thefront end of said frame adapted to support the forward ends of theleather-supporting bars, the lower wall of which slot is hinged to theframe, an armand-dog mechanism adapted to retain said hinged portion inplace to support the ends of the bars and to release said hinged portionand allow the ends of the bars supported thereby to drop so that thesides of leather supported thereon will slide off therefrom,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a tank or vat, of an endless carrier movable ina path comprising substantially horizontal and vertical portions,

said vertical portions being substantially in line with said tank, asupport for the hide, skin or leather attached to said carrier to movetherewith, power-operated mechanism for moving said carrier to therebyimmerse the hide, skin or leather in the solution in said tank or vatand to remove it therefrom, and means which acts when the hide or skinor leather is immersed in said tank to automatically stop the travel ofsaid carrier, substantially as described. I

6. The combination with a tank or vat, of an endless carrier movable ina fixed path comprising substantially horizontal and vertical portions,said vertical portions being above and substantially in line with saidtank, a rack or frame pivoted to said endless carrier and provided witha plurality of movable members or supports'for the pieces of material tobe treated extended substantially, at right angles to the pivot for saidrack, meansto se: cure said movable members to said rack in and means torelease said members to permit the piecesofmaterial to be removedtherefrom, substantially as described. A

7 The combination with a tank or vat, of an endless carrier movable in afixed path comprising substantially horizontal and vertical portions,said vertical portion being above and substantially in line with saidtank, a rack or frame pivoted to said endless carrier and provided witha movable member located below said pivot to permit the material hungupon said member to be totally immersed in the solution contained in thetank without bringing the endless carrier in contact with said solution,substantially as described.

8. The combination with a tank or vat, of an endless carrier movable ina fixed path comprising substantially horizontal and vertical pbrtionsabove said vat, said vertical portion being substantially in line withsaid tank or vat, guides located above said vertical portion to sustainthe endless carrier in its movement in a horizontal path, means to movesaid endless carrier, a plurality ofracks or-frames for the sides, skinsorv sides of leather pivoted to said endless carrier and provided belowthe pivots therefor with members upon which the hides, &c., are hung,substantially as de scribed.

9. The combination with a tank or vat, of an endless carrier movable ina fixed path comprising substantially horizontal and vertical portions,a support for the material connected to said, carrier power-operatedmeans for moving said carrier located at one end of the horizontalportion of said path, and means for controlling said poweroperated meanslocated near the opposite end of said horizontal portion, a device tolock said controlling means in its operative position, and means movablewith said endless carrier for operatingsaid locking device to releasesaid controlling means, sub stantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. The combination with an endless carrier movable in a path comprisingsubstantially horizontal and vertical portions, a support for thematerial to be treated connected to said carrier to move therewith,power-operated means for moving said carrier in said path, means forcontrolling said power-operated means, mechanism for locking saidcontrolling means in its operative position, and a releasing devicecooperating, with said locking mechanism and rendered effective-thereonwhen the said support reaches substantially the lowest point of thetraverse of said endless carrier in the vertical portion of its path,substantially as de-. scribed. v

' 11. The combination with an endless carrier, of a plurality of rackssecured to said carrier to move therewith and provided with a pluralityof movable supports or members upon which the material to be treated ishung, means to prisingsubstantially horizontal and vertical portions,said vertical portion being substantially in line with said tank, asupport for the material to be treated connected with said carrier tomove therewith and provided with a V movable member upon which thematerial is hung, means to lock said movable member in its closed oroperative position, and means to engage said locking means and releasesaid movable member after said support has been carried out of the saidtank or vat, substantially movable member upon which the materialishung, means to lock said movable member in its closed or operativeposition, and means having a fixed position with relation to the path ofmovement of said support to engage the said locking means andautomatically unlockthe same, substantially as described. v

14. The combination with an endless carrier movable in a path'comprising substantially horizontal and vertical portions, a support forthe material to be treated connected to said carrier to move therewith,power-operated means for moving said carrier in said path, means forcontrolling said power-operated means, mechanism for locking'saidcontrolling means in its operative position, and a releasing devicecooperating with said looking means to disengage it from saidcontrolling means, substantially as described.

15. The combination with an endless carrier, supports for material to betreated connected thereto to move therewith, mechanism to move saidendless carrier, a clutch to control the operation of said mechanism, alever.

operatively connected with said clutch, means to locksaid lever in itsoperative position, means movable withsaid endless carrier to effectdisengagement of the locking means from said lever, and means to movesaid lever when released to operate said clutch to stop the travel ofthe endless carrier, substantially asdescribed.

16. The combination with a tank or vat, of an endless carrier movable ina path comprising substantially horizontal and vertical portions, saidvertical portion being above and in line with said tank or vat, asupport for Too the, material to be treated connected to said carrier tomove therewith, mechanism for actuatlng said carrier, a starting devlcefor controlling the operation of said actuating mechanism, means forlocking said starting device in We operat1ve posltlon, and means movablewith the endless carrier toeifect disengagement of the locking meansfrom said starting device, substantially as described.

17. The combination with a tank or vat, of a frame located above thesame and comprising vertical and horizontal-portions, rotatable devicessupported by saidhorizontal portion near the opposite ends of the same,a rotatahledevic'e supported by said vertical portion of said frame nearthe said tank or vat, intermediate rotatable devices supported above thelowermost rotatable device andadjustable with relation thereto, means toeffect movement of said intermediate rotatable devices In testimonywhereofI have signedmy name away from said lowermost rotatable device,to'this specification 1n the presence oftwo suband an endless carrier inengagement with scribing witnesses.

said rotatable devices to be moved thereby, EUGENE C. AMIDON. saidendless carrier passing between the inter- W itnesses: mediate rotatabledevices, substantially as de- J. J. DESMOND,

scribed. v C. A. TRISKET.

